Integrating Clinical Competence and Spiritual Sensitivity in Suicide Care

This workshop examines the intersection of suicide prevention, religion, spirituality, and mental health.
About this Event

Clients frequently bring religious beliefs, spiritual struggles, and faith community experiences into conversations about suicide, grief, meaning, and hope. These beliefs can serve as powerful protective factors while also contributing to shame, isolation, or barriers to treatment when misunderstood or inadequately addressed by clinicians.

This workshop examines the intersection of suicide prevention, religion, spirituality, and mental health practice through a clinically informed and culturally responsive lens. Participants will explore how the world’s three major religions (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam) view and understand suicide. Participants will also explore how these religious narratives, spiritual beliefs, and cultural assumptions influence suicide risk assessment, treatment engagement, family dynamics, and postvention care. Drawing from contemporary suicide research, spiritually integrated psychotherapy, and evidence-based counseling practices, the workshop will provide practical strategies for integrating clients' spiritual resources into assessment, intervention, and ongoing treatment.

Case studies and clinical discussions will focus on developing competence in addressing spiritual concerns without imposing therapist values, supporting clients experiencing spiritual distress, and partnering effectively with faith communities when appropriate. Participants will gain tools for engaging one of the most complex areas of clinical practice with greater confidence, humility, and cultural responsiveness.

Learning Objectives

Participants will be able to:

• Identify common religious and spiritual beliefs, myths, and cultural narratives related to suicide and evaluate their potential impact on suicide risk, help-seeking behaviors, and recovery.
• Demonstrate evidence-based counseling strategies for assessing and responding to suicidal ideation while incorporating clients' spiritual beliefs and values into collaborative treatment planning.
• Integrate clients' religious and spiritual resources into suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention care while recognizing and addressing spiritual struggles, moral injury, and religious trauma.
• Develop a culturally responsive framework for supporting individuals and families affected by suicide that incorporates validation, meaning-making, interdisciplinary collaboration, and spiritually informed clinical care.

Agenda

🕑: 09:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Suicide
Host: Dr. Beth Toler
🕑: 10:30 AM - 04:00 PM
Ethics & Boundaries
Host: Dr. Beth Toler